Philadelphia Eagles player Darius Slay is calling out the NFL for scheduling his team’s opening game against the Green Bay Packers in crime-riddled Brazil — with the cornerback explaining that he has even told his family to stay home out of fear for their safety.
While the NFL has previously scheduled games in London, Munich, and Mexico City, the latest season opener will take place on Friday in São Paulo, Brazil — a crime-riddled and corrupt city.
Slay condemned the NFL for their decision in a recent episode of his podcast, “Big Play Slay,” where he noted that he is looking forward to the new season but is concerned about the location of the first game.
“Week 1, I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait, but man, I do not wanna go to Brazil,” he said. “You wanna know why? I’m here to tell you why. They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can’t do too much going on because the crime rate is crazy.”
He then explained that he had told his family to stay home because he plans to spend all of his free time inside his hotel room because he’s worried “something terrible can possibly happen” thanks to the high crime rate in Brazil.
“I’m like, NFL, why would y’all wanna send us somewhere where the crime rate is this high? And we’re out of the country, so the first thing people are thinking is something terrible can possibly happen,” Slay continued. “I told my family, ‘Do not come down there,’ because I’m not gonna be anywhere to be found, really. I’m gonna be in the hotel chilling, minding my business, playing my game, after a long, nine-and-a-half-hour flight.”
Slay on Brazil trip: “Week 1.. I can’t wait. But man, I do not wanna go to Brazil.. They already told us not to leave the hotel. They told us we can’t do too much, because the crime rate is crazy. I’m like ‘NFL, why would you wanna send us somewhere with a crime rate this… pic.twitter.com/7921ob1f8R
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) September 2, 2024
While it is nearly impossible to find legitimate homicide statistics for São Paulo, a city with a population of more than 11 million people, it is clear that the homicide rate in Brazil as a whole has remained high. The problem is so bad that the U.S. State Department even issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Brazil back in October 2023, which encouraged Americans to “exercise increased caution” in Brazil “due to crime.”
“Violent crime, such as murder, armed robbery, and carjacking, is common in urban areas, day and night,” the travel advisory read, in part. “Gang activity and organized crime is widespread. Assaults, including with sedatives and drugs placed in drinks, are common. U.S. government personnel are discouraged from using municipal buses in all parts of Brazil due to an elevated risk of robbery and assault at any time of day, and especially at night.”
The NFL season opener also comes amid an authoritarian crackdown on dissent in Brazil, with tyrannical Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes illegally seizing power to jail his political opponents for speech — including his ban on the social media platform X, which came about because X owner Elon Musk refused to break Brazilian law and ban political dissidents including elected Brazilian lawmakers.
